With more than 30 years of touring experience under our belts, we work tirelessly to ensure that we can offer the best in Tibet tours to our clients. This is why we have a long-standing tradition of surveying the tourism resources in Tibet and updating the hotel and travel information on the region annually. Every year, our staff travel to Lhasa and the other areas of Tibet in the off-season to make our annual updates, and often discover new and exciting experiences for our future clients.
Our Tibet tour team of travel consultants, tour operators, editors, and our product manager
This year, our team of travel consultants, tour operators, editors, and our product manager went on a field trip from the end of October to early in November to visit Lhasa and the surrounding areas. Whilst there, they were able to get all the latest updates on the hotels in Lhasa, and have some exciting new discoveries that will enhance future tours for our clients. So come and take a look at their tour photo gallery, and discover more about Tibet yourself.
Special Tour Began in Lhasa
Taking the bus out of Lhasa to visit the exciting locations for surveys
This year’s special tour began in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the City of Sunshine. And a bright sunny day saw the start of this fact-finding field trip. Our team of travel consultants, editors, product manager, and tour operators left the city for some of the outlying areas near Lhasa, complete with the traditional hada scarfs that are given to visitors to Tibet. >> Check the guide to Lhasa tour.
Visit Enchanting Dadong Village on the Outskirts of Lhasa
Peaceful Dadong Village in the shadows of the looming peaks
While many villages in Tibet can be found to have excellent options for tourists to discover more about the local traditional cultures, Dadong Village, just 18km from the center of Lhasa, is one of the best local options. Hidden away in a small valley in the shadows of the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, Dadong Village has almost 2,000 years of ancient history behind its mud-covered walls.
The beauty of the river flowing past Dadong Village
Yak Dung, local fire fuel, drying on a wall in Dadong Village
A village where peaches are a major crop each year, these sweet fruits are used to make a variety of products, from jams and jellies to preserves. It is the unusual micro-climate of the valley that allows peach trees to fruit at this elevation, and it is known locally as the Sunshine Valley. It is even said that Guru Rinpoche loved the beauty of this small village.
Local women turn freshly-picked peaches into a variety of products
Check the Facilities of Dadong Hot spring Resort
Stunning veranda overlooking the Sunshine Valley
One of a few Hot Spring Resorts close to Lhasa, the Dadong Hot Springs Resort is set in some of the most beautiful countryside in Tibet. Stunning rooms and features are styled and crafted from local resources, and the buildings are all designed in traditional Tibetan architecture. And with comfortable rooms and amazing views down the valley, there are few places in Tibet where you can enjoy this kind of pampering treatment in such spectacular surroundings. >> Never miss the other popular hot springs across Tibet.
Dadong Village Resort
An amazing view down the valley from beside the hot spring in the early morning sun
Luxurious rooms make your stay as pleasant as possible
Experience the Treks in Yerpa Monastery and Ganden Monastery in Winter
Located just a short drive from Lhasa city, Drak Yerpa is a monastery and meditation caves, which have been used by many Buddhist masters over the centuries, including the great sage, Padmasambhava and the famed Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo. In fact, it was his queen, Monza Triucham, who founded the monastery here. It is said there are an auspicious 108 caves at Yerpa, and the trek around the monastery visits several of them.
Enjoying the sun at Yerpa Monastery, in preparation for the Kora hike around the site.
From the bottom of the monastery, the route heads up the left side stairway, and you will visit the caves in a clockwise direction, as with all pilgrimage in Tibetan Buddhism. The first caves are the Rigsum Gompo Cave and the Demdril Drubpuk. Inside the Rigsum Gompo, you can find the footprints of Yeshe Tsogyal, the consort of Padmasambhava, while outside the Demdril Drubpuk are the footprints of the 5th Dalai Lama. >> Check the top treks in Tibet.
The climb continues up to the Chögyal-puk cave. The interior has a central statue of Chenresig, with a small statue of the Songtsen Gampo in the right-hand corner.
Looking down on the White Stupas at the entrance to Yerpa Monastery and the view along the valley
Stopping to pray with the monks at Ganden Monastery in Dagzê County.
The next cave, the Lhalung-puk cave, lies inside the next chapel, and is where Lhalung Pelde hid after murdering the anti-Buddhist King Langdarma in the 9th century.
The Dawa-puk, or Moon Cave, is the most atmospheric of all the caves here, and it is said that Guru Rinpoche meditated here for seven years. In the inner room, the footprints of Guru Rinpoche, one booted and one barefoot, are set into the very stone of the floor.
The hike up to the caves is a bit challenging due to the high altitude. And from the main caves, it is a mere 15-minute walk up to the holy mountain, Yerpa Lhari, which is capped with prayer flags and encircled by its own short kora.
The kora at Ganden in simply spectacular, and there are normally a large number of pilgrims undertaking their pilgrimage around the circuit. The kora has high and low sections, with the high kora rising up from the monastery to encompass the peak of Wangburi, to the south of Ganden, before rejoining the low kora on the other side. The high kora should be started from the path to the southeast of the car park, and is a tough 40-minute climb up a zigzag path to the top. From here, where prayer flags blow in the winds and pilgrims burn juniper branches, you can follow the path down the other side to join the last stretch of the low kora back to the monastery.
Taking a rest break during the Ganden kora treks around the famous monastery
The low kora has a different route, and is much easier to hike along. The walk around the entire low kora takes around 45 minutes, and starts from the car park. Head west and then around the back of the monastery on the low ridge of the basin in which it sits. The kora trail winds its way past several small shrines and Mani stones. As you round the ridge, you will see the hermitage of Tsongkhapa, a small hut that contains images of Sakyamuni, Tsepame, Palden Lhamo, and Atisha. From here, the kora drops down to reach the monastery once more.
Check the Trekking Route at Pabonka
Trekking at Pabonka to find the best possible trekking route for future visitors
Pabonka Palace, around 15km from the center of Lhasa, has a couple of decent treks, including its own kora. One of the most popular is the trek from Pabonka to Pubjoi Monastery, which takes just a few hours to complete and offers some great views.
The trek starts at the monastery, after a visit to the hermitage cave of Songtsen Gampo, and hikes uphill for around 30 minutes to reach the Tashi Chöling Hermitage. The route then continues up for another hour or so, to a small hermitage known as Tagden Ritro, beside a small natural spring.
Taking a rest to relax and enjoy the amazing view over the valley below.
From here, you descend, heading down to the Sera Ütse hermitage, with its panoramic view of Lhasa, and on to the Pubjoi Monastery, passing the Raka Drak Hermitage along the way. While it is not an easy trek, it can be done even by a novice. Just remember to bring plenty of water, as it can get hot along the trail.
Discover the Chuxi Village, the New Local Experience for Our Clients
Arriving in Chuxi Village in Dagzê County, to the east of the center of Lhasa
As a new attraction for our future visitors to Tibet, we have been exploring the area in Dagzê County of Chuxi Village. A small local village at Bagaxuecun, on the G318 Lhasa Nyingchi Highway near Ganden Monastery, this small community is a great place to find out more about traditional ways of Tibetan life.
Exploring the traditional courtyards of local homes in Chuxi Village
While there are many villages like this one in Tibet, Chuxi Village is ideally located for travelers from Lhasa and from Ganden Monastery, and lies along the banks of the eastern reaches of the Lhasa River. A small collection of local houses surrounded by arable farmland in this fertile area of the valley, farming is the main source of income here for most of the local families.
Enjoying noodles and sweet Tibetan tea at a local house in Chuxi Village
Our passing Yamdrok tso Lake
Lhasa Wencheng princess theatre
Lhasa Himalaya 4star Hotel
Lhasa St Regis 5star Hotel
Conclusion
While this arduous task that was ahead of us was daunting, we took it upon ourselves to enjoy our survey trip as much as possible. Exploring new and adventurous places, updating itineraries and details for hotels and attractions, and discovering exciting small villages is all part of the service we offer all of our clients. And if you enjoy these stunning places half as much as we did, you will have had the best vacation of your life.
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"For Better Tibet Tour Experience: Tibet Vista Team Surveyed Tourism Resources around Lhasa"